Pursuit of the Truth

The instant the clone in Su Xuan Yi’s field of vision turned into ashes in the Emperor of Abyss’ True World and the sandglass showed that there were only about two hours until the day ended…

The sixth Heavenly Incense shuddered violently. Su Ming’s pupils shrank when he saw the sixth Heavenly Incense shatter with a bang. As it crumbled layer by layer, it was reduced to ashes and disappeared.

At the same time, a faint presence spread out, and they caused his expression to change before it eventually settled on a dreary look. He could tell that the presence belonged to him.

“The second…” the spirit of the Rune, who had now lost two of its Heavenly Incenses, said in an ancient voice. As it reverberated in space, it caused Su Ming’s expression to turn even more dreary.

“So it’s not only me attacking you personally, but all the things done by those who are connected to me, be it people or objects possessing my presence, that will be counted within this day.”

Su Ming’s eyes swiftly fell shut. In an instant, he found his Ecang clone. He had noticed that the presence that destroyed the Heavenly Incense just then belonged to him, but he also realized that it came from the Seed of Life Extermination, which had already been separated from his body.

Though Su Ming might not know what happened to the Seed of Life Extermination and what had caused the Heavenly Incense crumble, but it was obvious that this was due to another independent clone. Yet Su Ming had no time to care about why and how it had happened. At the instant his divine sense connected with Ecang clone, his pupils constricted.

Su Ming sensed that his Ecang clone had brought tens of thousands of cultivators to surround a broken planet. With killing intent emanating from him, he brought his right hand up, intending to destroy the planet.

It did not matter whether there was someone in the planet who could affect the Heavenly Incense Rune, but once Su Ming fused his divine sense with his Ecang clone, he immediately made his decision. Ecang clone slowly brought his hand down. The murderous glare and the blood-red light in his eyes gradually disappeared as well. Instead of attacking, he sat down and waited for the final two hours of the day to come to an end.

As for Su Ming, he carefully thought back on all the people and objects who had his presence. In the end, he was certain that no other accidents would happen. Then, with a sullen expression, he stared at the Heavenly Incense Rune. Only the time it takes for an incense stick to burn remained until the day was over.

“I’d like to see how the third Heavenly Incense will break!”

There was an aloof look in Su Ming’s eyes. By his side, both Hu Zi and the bald crane were silent. They had discovered that something was off. They knew that Su Ming had descended into a monomaniacal state, and they did not dare bother him.

Time trickled by breath by breath. When the time it takes for an incense stick to burn was about to pass and there were less than ten grains of sand remaining in the upper level of the sandglass, the Heavenly Incense Rune’s spirit did not react. It still believed wholeheartedly that what it had predicted would come true.

At the instant the final grain fell, signaling that the day was over, the image of the last of the seven Heavenly Incenses inverted in Su Ming’s eyes… which was also clearly the very first Heavenly Incense extinguished a long time ago. With a bang, it shuddered, and countless cracks went down its side. The instant the day ended, it collapsed and shattered.

The spirit of the Heavenly Incense Rune did not react. In fact, it was very calm, since it was not the spirit itself destroying the incense stick. Su Ming could sense this clearly. His face gradually turned pale, and his body shuddered … because he noticed the presence that came from the incense stick the instant it was destroyed. That presence… belonged to Su Ming!!

What caused him to tremble and go pale was the fact while that presence belonged to him, he was completely unfamiliar with it. This was a very contradictory statement, but at that moment, it was what Su Ming felt in his heart.

“Tis the secret of the universe. Through thy hand, it hast descended upon me. Three incense sticks hath broken. Tis mine punishment for revealing the secret of the universe… what the secret of the universe hast revealed wilt come true. It wilt… happen,” the spirit of Heavenly Incense Rune muttered. Its ancient voice echoed in space.

“Secret of the universe…”

Su Ming slowly stood up with a ferocious look in his eyes. With a single move, he charged at the Heavenly Incense Rune. When he raised his right hand, the ring flew off his finger with a bang. At the same time, an astonishing power erupted from his body. This was not the power that belonged to ordinary Almighties in Fate Realm. It was great enough for him to fight against those in Life Realm within Arid Triad Expanse Cosmos.

In fact, even if he was faced with those in Death Realm, Su Ming would still be worthy enough to fight against them.

“The secret of the universe might have said that you will have three of your incense sticks broken, but I will break all of them!”

While speaking, Su Ming approached the Rune. As his cultivation base erupted from him, a piercing light spread out from the ring. An astonishing presence erupted from the supreme treasure. It was a power that could destroy space. With a bang, it charged at the Heavenly Incense Rune.

“Wherefore doth thou do this… Yesterday is over…”

The spirit of the Heavenly Incense Rune sighed softly. It did not fight back and allowed that vast power of the ring to descend upon it. Amid the loud bangs, the remaining six Heavenly Incenses shuddered simultaneously. One of them shattered swiftly, disappearing into space.

Killing intent shone in Su Ming’s eyes. He lifted his right hand and formed a seal. The ring immediately howled, and with a vast power, it charged at the Heavenly Incense Rune once more. The Rune crumbled. The fifth Heavenly Incense Rune shattered, meaning there were only four incenses left. Two of them continued burning, and the power of reversing time surrounded the three incense sticks which had extinguished, as if they were about to recover.

Su Ming struck the center of his brows with his left hand. Immediately, the past and future appeared next to him, and the power of reversing time spread out from his body. As he let out a low growl, he controlled the supreme treasure with his right hand. The ring swept out, drawing an arc that rushed once again at the Heavenly Incense Rune.

This time, Su Ming’s inborn power to interrupt the flow of time was contained in the ring. As booming sounds reverberated in space, it charged at the Heavenly Incense Rune. Rumbles surged into space without end. Besides the two Heavenly Incenses which continued to burn, the other three were reduced to powder, but as Su Ming watched it, a complicated expression appeared on his faces.

He saw that the four Heavenly Incenses he destroyed disregarded his power to interrupt the flow of time. They still slowly but surely recovered and manifested, as if… their reformation was not as Su Ming saw. It was not due to the reversal of time, but was a power that surpassed what he could currently understand. With it, they recovered after they had shattered.

“Tis useless. I revealed the secret of the universe and has thus paid the price. I doth not know when ye shalt pay thine… but what the secret of the universe has shown wilt be fulfilled. This… wilt never change. There is nothing thou can changeth even if you destroy the remaining Heavenly Incenses. Today is today, yesterday has passed.”

The Heavenly Incense Rune sighed softly. Slowly, its will dissipated. The four Heavenly Incenses Su Ming had destroyed manifested once more, but since the will of the spirit of the Rune had disappeared, they became no different from lifeless objects.

“I have revealeth the secret of the universe. Having three of mine Heavenly Incenses broken is just an external punishment. Mine internal punishment is that of mine will falling into slumber… for 3,720 years. When I awaken, I shalt see… the scene thou hast seen from the secret of the universe. At that time, we shalt meet again…”

As the voice of the Heavenly Incense Rune’s spirit became increasingly weaker, the two burning incense slowly went out. They had not extinguished because of an Abyss Builder’s clone, but because the Rune’s will had fallen asleep. They would not burn for 3,720 years.

After that time passed, the two Heavenly Incenses would light up once more.

Su Ming stared at the extinguished Heavenly Incenses. As he watched the six incense sticks and sensed the strange power from the Heavenly Incense Rune around him fade away until it was completely gone, he fell silent. Anguish appeared on his face. In truth, before he attacked, Su Ming had already known that he had lost against the Heavenly Incense Rune.

Even if he destroyed the other Heavenly Incenses, the previous day had already passed, and the secret of the universe had said that three sticks would be broken on that particular day.

‘If I had broken three or more beforehand…’

Su Ming stood quietly in the galaxy and watched the extinguished Heavenly Incense Rune. He could not help but think of that question.

After a long while, he sighed softly. In the end, the mysteriousness of the secrets of the universe lay in only two words… what if!

The secret of the universe was contained in those two simple words.

He would understand this matter if he could, and if he could not, then there was no forcing himself. The pictures he saw from the secret of the universe flashed in his eyes again, but he buried them all deep in his heart.

‘I do not believe in the will of heaven, neither do I believe in destiny. I only believe in myself! So what if this is the secret of the universe? If I change the secret of the universe and replace the heavens themselves, I will also be able e to change my destiny! What the secret of the universe showed is just one point in the future. With this point as a reference, I can change the future!’

Determination and resolution appeared in Su Ming’s eyes. He knew that he could not think too much about this. The more he thought about it, the more he would instinctively believe in it, and if he did so, the more likely it would become that it would come true.

A brilliant light shone in Su Ming’s eyes as he stared at space.

‘Clone of mine that practices the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole, I will start with you. The Heavenly Incense has been destroyed, so I’d like to see just where you can hide!’

With a step forward, Su Ming appeared beside Hu Zi and the bald crane.

Hu Zi looked like he wanted to speak, but he hesitated. He cast a glance at Su Ming, and in the end chose to say nothing.

“Hu Zi, for the time being, I won’t return to build the Ninth Summit. I want to search for the clone of mine who betrayed me and fled. Do you want to come with me or go back?” Su Ming looked towards Hu Zi.

“Naturally, where you go, I will follow. I am your senior brother. Eldest senior brother has already ordered me to help you, so you can’t leave me and go alone,” Hu Zi said loudly while patting his chest.

Su Ming stared at Hu Zi. He could not help but remember the picture from the secret of the universe, the one where Hu Zi was covered head to toe in blood while glaring at the universe with eyes open as he lay dead.

Pain struck Su Ming’s heart, and his resolution to avert what was to come grew even stronger.